'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (December 13)

Warner Bros.

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis Director: Peter Jackson ("The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey") What to watch for: "The Hobbit" hasn't quite lived up to the intimidating legacy of "Lord of the Rings," but audiences still embraced Peter Jackson's first return trip to Middle Earth. The second film in an unexpected trilogy should reveal whether the decision to stretch one (relatively) tiny book into three not-so-tiny movies was really about art or money.

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis Director: Peter Jackson ("The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey") What to watch for: "The Hobbit" hasn't quite lived up to the intimidating legacy of "Lord of the Rings," but audiences still embraced Peter Jackson's first return trip to Middle Earth. The second film in an unexpected trilogy should reveal whether the decision to stretch one (relatively) tiny book into three not-so-tiny movies was really about art or money. (Warner Bros.)

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis Director: Peter Jackson ("The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey") What to watch for: "The Hobbit" hasn't quite lived up to the intimidating legacy of "Lord of the Rings," but audiences still embraced Peter Jackson's first return trip to Middle Earth. The second film in an unexpected trilogy should reveal whether the decision to stretch one (relatively) tiny book into three not-so-tiny movies was really about art or money.